His return wasn’t as miraculous as Adrian Peterson’s, which still hails as one of the most astounding recoveries in the history of sport. But Revis’ bounce back was impressive, nonetheless.

On Sept. 23, 2012, he lay on the field writhing in pain. On a Monday morning that next month, he was on an operating table.

He told nj.com back then: "People might look at this as a setback but right now I'm not even focused on that. I gotta do everything I can, everything happens for a reason. This is something that happened in my career and you can't take that second back."

Time moved on, and so did Revis, signing a six-year, $96 million deal that included the Bucs letting go of draft picks to get him. At the first defensive snap of the season, Revis was back in action.

It was uncertain whether he’d be the same. Before the injury, he was the best cornerback in the NFL. All he did this year was make the Pro Bowl for the fifth time. That accomplishment came despite playing under the stressful conditions brought on by ex-Bucs’ coach Greg Schiano. Revis remains high-impact player and vital cog in the Bucs' secondary.

Lauded as as a shut-down corner, he played in a zone system and finished the season with 50 tackles, two interceptions and 11 passes defended. After missing 14 games, that was plenty good enough.